Photography classes putting disabled children in the picture

Students at Anding Primary School use a computer to view images after being taught by Liu Yuyang, a freelance photographer. [Photo by Liu Yuyang/For China Daily]

An inclusive experiment

The photography classes were part of China's five-year experiment to provide inclusive education.

"Whether in cities or the countryside, the best way for disabled children to be integrated into mainstream society is for them to receive education in mainstream schools," said Wang Xingxing, inclusive education project manager at Save the Children.

Wang was born with cerebral palsy. In the 1980s, when a lack of physical access and specialist facilities meant most disabled children were denied the chance to study at regular schools, she was lucky to sit in the same classes as her able-bodied peers.

"Had I not shared the experience of studying and living with nondisabled children, I wouldn't have become accommodated to mainstream society so quickly," she said.

Special schools are still prevalent, given their specific care and skill training tailored for disabled children, especially those with severe conditions.

However, a report by Save the Children noted that students in such schools easily become stuck in a restricted environment and find it hard to be accepted by society when they graduate.

"Disabled people can hardly be understood properly as a result of a lack of communication with able-bodied people. They may be discriminated against in job interviews and questioned about their ability to undertake ordinary work," said Xie Renci, a disability rights activist, who lost her right leg in a car accident when she was 4 years old.

Xie was impressed by the photos taken by Liu's students. "They are all equally good. The children are not judged by their IQs or physical capabilities," she said.